Calcutta: The loss to New Zealand at Eden Park in Auckland was a good and timely wake-up call for Australia, feels Andy Bichel.

In his column for the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) World Cup website, the former Australian pacer wrote:

“After their win against Australia, New Zealand fans will be on the bandwagon everywhere it goes, and the challenge for the team will be to keep its feet on the ground.

“The past two weeks, I am sure, has been frustrating for the Aussies, but this will be a good wake-up call for them. It will be interesting to see if they knuckle down as they just can’t afford to have any more hiccups.

“Though they face Afghanistan next, they do have a tough game at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) against Sri Lanka on Sunday.”

Bichel feels that New Zealand’s plan worked well at the Eden Park. “The master plan of Brendon McCullum and Mike Hesson went to script. When they saw the schedule, am sure they started planning for this match and the Blackcaps would have been licking their lips.

“It has been a long time since Australia have won at Eden Park,” he wrote.

Analysing why Eden Park is such happy hunting ground for New Zealand, he wrote: “Why is Eden Park such a fortress for the Black Caps? Those small boundaries, slowish wicket and an aggressive crowd make for a cauldron-like atmosphere.

“Going into this match, New Zealand were the team with the momentum. On the other hand, Australia seemed to be struggling just that little bit, even though all batsmen looked okay. They were just missing a bit of time in the middle and not at the nets.”

However, he still felt that New Zealand, given the fact that they played confidently in their earlier matches, should have had it easier against Australia.

“Even though Australia got off to a very handy start, the introduction of Daniel Vettori changed the game. Vettori not

only picked up two wickets, the Aussies found it difficult to score off him also and that added to the pressure.
“Trent Boult starred for New Zealand ripping through the Australian middle order, and put the home team in the driving seat.

“During this period, Australia lost eight wickets for 26, slumping from 80/2 to 106/9. Brad Haddin and Pat Cummins had to hold on for the last wicket to give Australia something to bowl at.

“In my opinion, the key to Australia’s success in trying to defend 151 was to be able to take early wickets. Unfortunately, the script was perfect for someone like Brendon McCullum to play the way he plays...

“If Australia had any chance of winning, his wicket was to be the prized scalp. His 50 off 24 balls gave New Zealand a good start to chasing down the small total that had been set for them,” he wrote.
Praising Kane Williamson, he said he was one of the “most technically correct batsman in world cricket now.”

“He is only 24 and showed maturity beyond his years…  In the end he saw New Zealand home by hitting a six down the ground to complete the fairytale ending in a historic match that will be talked about for years to come.”

He added: “Defending a small total, Australia bowlers had nothing to lose and they were backed by the aggressive captaincy of Michael Clarke. Mitchell Starc was absolutely brilliant…

“He has already claimed an ODI hat-trick and in this match was on two chances to get another. His figures of 6/28 will also be remembered in this thrilling match.”